Laughing All the Way

The CBC is still very much on my mind as I begin the process of entering the 19th GJ CBC data at the National Audubon Society's CBC website. So in the meantime, I wanted to share another of Graham Sampson's and the Corozal EAGLEs' photographed birds.

Above is a gorgeous raptor from the Count, the Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans). This is a snake-eating falcon as the species name Herpetotheres implies. On a couple of occasions, we've seen them swoop down on snakes that I hadn't even noticed. That's the legendary vision raptors are known for.

As the common name suggests, the Laughing Falcon has the most amazing vocalizations. They'll be getting cranked up for courtship soon. During the next weeks the pair will begin calling back and forth in ringing duet, starting slowly (Ah ha! AH-ha! Ahhhh-ha!), then building up to a crescendo. Sort of like Ravel's "Bolero" for birds...

A Lovely Bird

While I've been going on about the new snake Bruce and I came across, the Corozal birding team recorded several very nice birds on their route during the 19th annual Gallon Jug Christmas Bird Count. Not "just" recorded, but in some cases, also photographed. The Corozal EAGLEs is a student environmental group led by retired Corozal Community College teacher, Graham Sampson. For at least the past decade, he has brought students from Corozal Town to the GJ CBC, after they've driven hours on bad roads and camped in nearby Sylvester Village in order to take part in the Count. We appreciate their contributions!

Particularly, in this case, a very lovely Lovely Cotinga (Cotinga amabilis). Who could not appreciate the vivid iridescent blue and purple colors of this male? ( The female is far less flashy being a sort of nondescript beigy-gray). Despite the gorgeous colors, the cotinga often goes undetected. It is most often found at canopy level while foraging for fruit and can be hard to see. Lovely Cotingas are highly sought after by birders and seen a few times a year in fruiting trees near Chan Chich Lodge. We're glad that Graham and company were able to record this one for the CBC.